We’re pleased to announce the following are our May selections for the Featured Book of the Month program!

Adult Title

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan
“Set at the beginning of WWI, Rogan’s debut follows 22-year-old Grace Winter, a newlywed and newly minted heiress, who survives a harrowing three weeks at sea following the sinking of her ocean liner and the disappearance of her husband, Henry. Safe at home in the U.S., Grace and two other survivors are put on trial for their actions aboard the under-built, overloaded lifeboat. At sea, as food and water ran out, and passengers realized that some among them would die, questions of sacrifice and duty arose. Rogan interweaves the trial with a harrowing day-by-day story of Grace’s time aboard the lifeboat, and circles around society’s ideas about what it means to be human, what responsibilities we have to each other, and whether we can be blamed for choices made in order to survive…A complex and engrossing psychological drama.”
— Publishers Weekly

Teen Title

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
“The fantastical island of Thisby is the home of a fierce breed of water horses, the capaill uisce, man-eaters who rise from the autumn seas to terrorize the islanders. They can be captured and somewhat tamed, however, and once a year the island hosts a tourist draw, the Scorpio Races, a beachside contest often fatal to the riders. Sean Kendrick is one of the racers, a four-time champion on his trusty stead. Kate “Puck” Connolly is new to the races and the first woman rider. Due to a loophole in the rules, Kate’s riding a regular horse, her beloved Dove, which she trusts to run true against the more frightening contestants. Both riders have deeper personal motives for wanting to win. Filling it with loving descriptions of wet, wind-tossed Thisby as well as exciting equine action, Stiefvater has created a thrilling backdrop for the love story that blooms between Sean and Puck. A book appealing to lovers of fantasy, horse stories, romance, and action-adventure alike, this seems to have a shot at being a YA blockbuster.”
— Booklist Reviews

Children’s Title

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
“The Great Depression has hit the desperately poor Malone family hard, and 12-year-old Deza Malone’s father must leave Indiana to search for work in Flint, Michigan. When the family doesn’t hear from him, they go searching. As full of good cheer as Deza (introduced in Bud, Not Buddy) is, this angry novel is unflinching in its portrayal of poverty.”
— Hornbook Guide Reviews

Look for displays of all our Featured Book of the Month titles at your local branch and the Main Library!